Mechanism for unloading hay-racks.



T. W. MOKERNAN 6a W..H. BEDARD.

MEOHANISM FOR UNLOADING HAY RAGKS.

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T. WpMoKBRNAN & W. H. BEDARD.

MEOHANISM FOR UNLOADING HAY RAOKS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 1810.

Patented May 23, 1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTGE. i

THOMAS W. MUKERNAN AND WILLIAM H. BEDARD, OF STRATHCONA, ALBERTA,CANADA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1911.

Application filed April 5, 1910. Serial No. 553,609.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS W. Mo- KERNAN and WILLIAM H. BEDARD,subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Strathcona, Alberta,Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanismfor Unloading Hay-Racks, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to mechanism for raising and lowering hay racks,the mechanism bein@ so constructed that a hay rack may be lifted from awagon to any desired height, held in this adjusted position temporarily,or permanently, and lowered upon a wagon without jar or shock to thesame, the invention being so constructed that itmay be easily operatedby one operator, the object of the invention being to provide a very simle construction to this end, thoroughly eective in practice and capableof easy operation.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to thefollowing description and ,accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is afront view of our improved lifter. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.Fig. 3 is a detail view showing a portion of the upright with the lowersprocket wheel and the brake-lever. Fig. 4 is a detail fragmentaryelevation of the upper end of a standard and braces therefor, and Fig. 5is a detailsectional view through the winding roller to showltheposition of the hooks 9.8.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

Referring to these igures 2 designates oppositely disposed parallelsills or base timbers. Extending upward from each of the base timbers isthe upright 3. Bracing the uprights are the upwardly and inwardlyinclined brace-pieces 4 which at their lower ends are set into notchesor kerfs in the sills 2, and which at their upper ends are connected tothe uprights 3 by means of the caps 5. The braces 4 engage with theuprights 3 at a point slightly below the upper end of the upright, andthe cap 5 fits over the upper end of the upright and over the upper endsof the braces 4.

Passing through the upper ends ofthe braces 4 and the upper end of theupright are a plurality of bolts 6 which pass through sleeves 7, thesesleeves having inclined inside faces which contact with the inclinedfaces of the cap 5 in the manner shown in Fig. 4. The upper end of eachof the uprights 3 is formed with a circular opening 8 forming a bearingfor a transversely extending roller 9. The ends of this roller arepreferably reduced and these reduced portions are covered with a metalsheathing l0 so as to prevent wear of the roller and permit it to easilyrotate in the opening 8. This roller forms a winch by which the hay rackmay be lifted.

Attached to one end of the roller 9 is the sprocket wheel 11 over whichpasses a sprocket chain 12. The lower end of the sprocket chain 12passes over a sprocket wheel 13 which is mounted on a shaft 14 lpassingloosely through the post or upright 3 and supported at its ends in thestrapirons 15 and 16 which are bolted to the post or upright 3 as shownin a detail view in Fig. 1. The extremity of the shaft 14 is providedwith a crank-arm 17 whereby the shaft may be rotated. It will be seenthat the sprocket wheel 13 is smaller in diameter than the sprocketwheel 11. Attached to the shaft 14 interiorly of the sprocket wheel 13is the ratchet wheel 18 with which engages a pawl 19 mounted on a bolt20 which passes through the upright or post 3. This pawl acts to preventany back mot-ion of the shaft 14 so that the roller 9 may be held in anyrotated position.

Mounted on the inner extremity of the shaft 14 between the inside faceof a faceplate 20 and the strap-iron 16 is the inner end of abrake-lever 21 to which is attached a chain 22 extending up andconnected to a brake-strap 23. .This brake-strap extends upward and overthe end of the roller 9, preferably a number of times and then extendsdownward and is attached to a section of chain 24, which at its lowerend is attached to the eye of a bolt 25 passing through the upright 3.Preferably the bolt 25 passes through face-plates 26 on each side of thepost 23. In order to prevent the extremity of the roller from being wornby the strap 23 and to prevent too great a frictional engagement betweenthe strap and the roller, we preferably surround the roller with asleeve or band 27 of metal.

Projecting from the roller 9 are the hooks 28 which are set inquartering relation to each other and depending from said hooks are thechains 29 and 30. Preferably there are a pair of chains Q9 and a pair ofchains 30 provided on their lower ends with hooks 31 whereby the chainswill be engaged with a hay rack.

In order to prevent the weight of a hay rack from drawing the uprights 3toward each other, we provide the transversely eX- tending brace 82which is engaged at its ends with the opposed posts or uprights 8, justbelow the roller 9. r1`his cross-piece 32 is further supported by meansof the diagonally arranged brackets 33 which are attached at their lowerends to posts or uprights 3.

It will be seen that by reason of the quartering arrangement of thehooks 2S that both sets of'chains 29 and 30 will be wound upon theroller 9 and lifted at the same time when the roller is turned in acounter-clockwise direction from the normal position, as indicated inFig. 5. a

The operation of our invention 1s obviousz-The wagon from which the hayrack is to be elevated is driven beneath the mechanism and the chains 29and 30 are attached to the rack in any usual or desired manner. Thecrank-handle 17 is then operated, which, through the sprocket chain l2,will cause the rotation of the winding roller 9, and which will wind thechains 29 and 30 thereon. As the chains are wound upon the roller 9 thehay rack will be lifted. The pawl 19 will prevent any back movement ofthe mechanismk and the hay rack will be thus suspended at any desiredheight from the ground. In lowering the hay rack it is only necessary toforce the brake -lever downward and to release the pawl. By slightlyreleasing the brake-lever the roller 9 will be allowed to reverse andthe chains will be unwound. The strap 23 passes several times around theend of the roller 9 frictionally engaging the same so that the brake ispositive and the rapidity with which the rack willlower will beaccurately controlled, so that the rack may be lowered very gradually toits appointed place, the operator with one hand controlling the brakeand with the other hand directing the movement of the rack.

Our invention is simple, easily erected, easily moved from place toplace and is entirely effective in use.

Having thus described the invention what we claim is l. In a device ofthe character described, the combination of spaced standards, a windingroller journaled between the standards, a shaft mounted upon one of thestandards, a sprocket wheel rigid with the winding roller, a sprocketwheel on the shaft, a crank for operating the second sprocket wheel, achain connecting the two sprocket wheels, means for preventing backwardturning of the sprocket wheels, a brake lever also mounted upon thebefore mentioned shaft, a brake mechanism having an operative connectionwith the brake lever, and a flexible connecting member connected to thewinding roller.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of spacedstandards, a winding roller journaled between the standards, a sprocketwheel rigid with the winding roller, strap irons applied to oppositesides of one of the standards, lthe middle portions of the strap ironsbeing spaced from the standard, while the end portions thereof are bentinwardly and secured to the standard, a shaft passing through thestandard and journaled in the middle portions of the strap irons, asprocket wheel applied to the shaft between one of the strap irons andthe standard, means for rotating the sprocket wheel, a chain connectingthe sprocket wheel upon the shaft to the sprocket wheel of the windingroller, a brake lever mounted upon the shaft between the standard andthe oppositey strap iron, a brake mechanism applied to the windingroller and having an operative connection with the brake lever, and aflexible connecting member secured to the winding roller.

3. A mechanism of the character described including spaced standards, awinding roller rotatably mounted in the upper ends of the standards, asprocket wheel on the winding roller, a sprocket wheel on one of thestandards, a crankshaft on which the lastnamed sprocket wheel ismounted, means for preventing reverse movement of the sprocket wheel, alever pivoted on the crank shaft and extending out therefrom, abrake-band connected at one end to said lever passing around the end ofthe roller and connected at its other end to a standard, hooksprojecting out from the roller in quartering relation to each other, andchains depending from said hooks. n

4L. A mechanism of the character described, comprising spaced verticalstandards, a'winding roller mounted in the upper ends of the standards,a sprocket wheel on one end of the winding roller, a sprocket wheel onone of the standards, a sprocket chain connecting the two sprocketwheels, means for rotating the lower sprocket wheel, a flexibleconnection depending from the roller, a brake-lever pivoted to the lowerportion of one of the standards, a brakeband passing around the windingroller, a chain connecting one end of the brake-band to the lever, and achain attached to the other end of the brake-band and bolted toV thesaid standard.

5. In a mechanism of the character described, oppositely disposedparallel sills, vertical posts erected on said sills, a transioo iso

Verse brace extending between said posts,

inclined braces extending between the ends of each sill and the upperend of the post erected thereon, a cap extending over the top of saidpost and down on each side along the outer face of the inclined braces,a plurality of bolts passing through both braces and through the upperend of the post, sleeves having inclined faces surrounding said bolts,nuts engaging the bolts and the sleeves, a winding drum, mechanismmounted on one of said posts for operating said winding drum, a flexibleconnection depending from the winding drum, and brake mechanism forchecking the movement of said Winding drum.

In testimony whereof we aiX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS W. MCKERNAN. WILLIAM H. BEDARD.

Witnesses:

P. A. MCDONALD, FRANCES G. BENNETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

